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Lenox Hill Hospital Using a New Procedure to Freeze the Source of Irregular Heart Rhythms

One of only three hospitals in New York State to use this novel technique

Angel Ramos from the Bronx had been suffering from heart palpitations and fatigue for several years. He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and was put on medications to treat the condition. Unfortunately, the drugs which worked for only a short time, actually increased his level of fatigue and caused abdominal discomfort.

After learning about Lenox Hill Hospital’s Heart Rhythm Center, he opted for a new procedure that uses a balloon catheter to freeze the malfunctioning heart tissue to stop the electrical signals causing the arrhythmia. Mr. Ramos was discharged the day after his procedure and has not had any further recurrence of atrial fibrillation. “I felt better almost instantly,” he said.

“This procedure is distinctly different from standard approaches to atrial fibrillation ablation, which uses heat to eliminate the electrical activity,” says Neil Sanghvi, MD, who directs the Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Program at Lenox Hill Hospital. “It allows for a simple, safe and efficient approach and often results in no further recurrence of atrial fibrillation. Patients are able to resume their normal daily activity within days of the procedure.”
“Many of my patients have been successfully treated with this minimally-invasive procedure,” states William Frumkin, MD, a senior electrophysiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in the world. It is estimated that approximately 2-to 3-million Americans suffer from this debilitating arrhythmia which often leads to symptoms of fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath and can put the patient at risk for strokes.

“I see this procedure growing as more patients become aware that ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation is a safe and effective option,” states Dr. Sanghvi.
The Heart Rhythm Center at Lenox Hill Hospital, under the direction of Ranjit Suri, MD is equipped with the latest technology to manage and treat cardiac arrhythmias and a range of other procedures including ablation of cardiac arrhythmias, pacemaker and defibrillator implantation, and removal of malfunctioning or abandoned pacemaker leads utilizing laser technology. The Heart Rhythm Center may be contacted at 212-434-6500.

The advanced technology in the state of the art Electrophysiology laboratory was made possible in part by the Ambrose-Monell Foundation.